Menu

A Rock and a Hard Place: Civil Corruption and Crony Capitalism

Should corporations be allowed to operate freely without government interference? Or do they need to be regulated by government to make sure corporations treat people fairly? Nope. Neither of these options are possible right now. We’re between a rock and a hard place: between civil corruption and crony capitalism. As you might surmise, neither is desirable.

What we have now in the conservative and liberal establishment is not an argument between freedom on one hand and tyranny on the other. We have corporate supremacy aided by the government on one hand, and civil supremacy aided by corporate capital on the other. Just look at the most recent issues over net neutrality. It’s a classic test case. Almost no one is calling for complete deregulation. You have “conservatives” fighting, presumably, against giving the FCC control over the internet. And you have liberals fighting, presumably, to make sure that customers don’t get run over by monopolies.

But no one seems all that concerned that the revolving door between corporations and government is already firmly in place. Whether the FCC regulates the internet or corporate interests do, the fact is that the internet will be regulated by someone. We have a choice now between being screwed over by a government that controls the major corporations or being screwed over by corporations that control the government. Just look at the most recent proof that Comcast is writing their own political support letters in exchange for donations.

Separation of church and state? How about separation of business and state? That seems like a much bigger issue right now. And no one seems to understand what’s at stake. I’m for freedom and liberty. And that means I’m for the death of crony capitalism as well as the death of government tyranny. Because they are handmaidens.

You can’t fight for freedom and be a friend to government-protected and subsidized businesses. I have no problem with companies making huge amounts of money. But when you hear the civil government talking about businesses that are “too large to fail,” you know that it is not the value of services or the quality of products that has made some of these companies lucrative. Business and government have married rather quietly in a small informal private ceremony. It’s time we ask them to file for divorce.